


Closing Time

by betternovembers



Category: Empire Records (1995)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-21
Updated: 2009-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-04 22:36:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betternovembers/pseuds/betternovembers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything ever happens at Empire.  It's just the way it works.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Closing Time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chance47](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chance47/gifts).



You know this is the last summer before everything changes forever, before AJ and Corey head off to Boston. You're all still riding the high from Rex Manning Day, but a strange sort of future-nostalgia has settled over the store, a tangible blanket that makes time seem slower and faster all at once. Like you're trying to hard to build memories to cling to, laughing a little too hard at things that aren't even that funny. Random hugs at all hours of the day, and Joe wanders around and forgets himself and starts beaming at you all, then remembers he's the boss and starts frowning again. No one's vetoed you in weeks. It's normal and not, and basically boils down to being inevitable. Lucas keeps spouting his philosophical bullshit about gently flowing rivers and the nature of life and to just keep floating and on and on, but after awhile it all starts to make sense. After a while _Lucas_ starts to make sense, like you've finally put the puzzle pieces together, or cracked him open, and you're watching a boy turn into a man right before your eyes.

You don't do it because you're lonely or because Corey's slowly drifting away from you and over to AJ, or any of the reasons you know people suspect you of, but because after you really start to notice Lucas, there's no going back. He's always around, all ears and awkward hands and wearing his leather jacket all the time, even when it breaks 75 degrees outside and Deb starts to threaten to spray him down with the hose. So one night, you get on the speakers and in your best announcer type voice you call out: "_Attention Empire Records shoppers and employees. Would Lucas please report to the registers?_" His head pops up over the racks near hip-hop, god only knows what he was doing. You try not to ask these questions. He walks down to the front of the store, stands on the other side of the counter, and salutes at you. Oh, if he only knew. "_Lucas, I have been thinking--_" Somewhere from the back of the store, you hear Deb break out into hysterical laughter, but you continue smoothly on, "_\--shut up Debra, and I have come to the conclusion that you and I should go on a date. With romantic overtones. And possibly food. Although not food that either of us have cooked._" You cock an eyebrow at him, like, so, what's it gonna be?

Lucas gets this smirk on his face, but nods once, then walks off towards the stairs, whistling to himself and with his hands in his pockets while everyone else stares. Next to you, Corey starts to laugh, and when you look over at her, she's grinning like she just figured something out, and maybe under the smile, there's a hint of pride there. Like, they all know that Lucas is usually the mastermind, but this time, this time it's you.

It doesn't happen right away though. The two of you can't quite get your schedules worked out at first, keep pushing the date back, further and further, but you dance around each other at work. Lucas counts your till for you, your knees touch when you sit together on the couch at staff meetings, and you get weird knowing looks from Eddie every time you ask him to spin a 45 that Lucas might like. It's weird, you're fine with heavy make-out sessions in the back of shitty cars and boys who never call you again, but this cute stuff has got you so confused and turned around, but you like it. You like it a lot actually. He gets Deb to make buttons for you, and leaves them in your mailbox in the break room, and they have pictures of totally stupid stuff he knows you hate, like unicorns and baby animals, but he's drawn over them, so the unicorn has fire coming out of his ass and a handlebar mustache. Stuff like that. Weird boy stuff that only Lucas could dream up. You like it most when he watches you, because you know somewhere in that brain of his, it's thinking about you, and you and him, and maybe even you and him naked. You basically want to kiss him all the time, and it's just. You've never been around someone like this before, is all. You're also so sexually frustrated you could scream, but it's worth the wait.

One night you both close together, and of course, _of course_ he's worked out something with Joe, so at midnight he locks the door behind the last customer, and you're standing there in the middle of the rock section with a stack of reshelves and he's just smiling at you and you know you're a goner. The feeling is better than adrenaline, and maybe even singing.

He takes the CDs out of your hands, and places them carefully on the racks, so they don't topple. Joe will be pissed if you leave them there though, but Lucas sees the protest bubbling up and puts a finger across your lips. "Behave," he says, before you get any ideas. But he's smirking at you and his eyes are shining and crinkled at the corners, and really, when did you get this sappy? "Roof," he says, and takes you by the hand.

It's not really all the cold up on the roof, but there's some wind, and he puts his coat around your shoulders. He's got a blanket laid out under the sign, a bottle of wine and yes, those are containers from Mr. Hahn's Palace, the Chinese place around the block that you love. Lucas is humming slightly, his chest pressed against your back while you take it all in, and when you tilt your head up to look back at him, his face is framed against night sky, the light from the sign casting shadows across his cheek. He catches you looking, leans in, and finally, finally it happens, like some cheesy scene in a movie right before the credits roll, and of course, everything ever in your life has to happen at Empire, but really, that's the way things seem to work around here.

And honestly? You really wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
